maybe this should be in tactics forum...anyhows, how many of you all use your shotgun of choice as your primary Home Defense weapon (or sometimes use it as your primary)?

I have never been able to shake the truth from my head that while sleeping or whatever, the shotgun is the best HD fiirearm for me. Usually I just have two revolvers ready to go, but the fact remains that the shotgun has much better deadly accuracy & I would feel a ton more secure if something truly did go bump in the night knowing I had my shotgun instead of a revolver in my hand listening to see if I hear another noise. It doesn't matter if it is a burglary, home invasion, a drunk at the wrong hosue climbing thru a window; the bottom line is having that shotgun would make me feel safer.

The only reason I don't utilize it more as a preventative, primary HD gun is I grew up hearing that leaving the shotgun shells in the shotgun is bad overtime? I have got to be honest...I don't even know how accurate that myth is, yet it is a major reason why I utilize the handguns instead. My mossberg 500 keeps 7 in the tube and one in the chamber(total of eight 3" 00 bucks). I choose usually to just go with six in the tube for if the shotgun is needed. My guess this isn't bad on the springs. Anyways, do any of you experts, fellow TFLers, and/or shotgun lovers know if it would be bad for the shotgun to leave it 'loaded' in this fashion for a year or two as an example like a revolver? Does anyone know where I am coming from on the 'shotgun for HD issue' too? I mean I hope it never happens, but the shotgun just seems like a better alternative for the SHTF scenario at 3AM Amityville Horror time.

Your Mossberg could probably sit loaded and untouched for 5 years and run fine as long as nothing made a home in the barrel. One consideration might be the 3" 00 buck. That's a lot of recoil. Several companies make 2 3/4" low recoil plated buckshot now. It's got plenty of penetration for self-defense, but allows for quicker follow-up shots. Not saying the 3" won't do the job, just something to consider.

thanx guys. the mossberg was the first firearm I ever owned. I plan on using it for HD now. It won't have any issues(as noted in above post), but even if it did I could buy another one and still got my revolvers

For me, the shotgun is a better choice for home protection in every way except size. I have never found a convenient place to put it for every day home protection. I also think it is a bit large to carry with me to the living room when watching TV or my office when working on the computer. It is also problematic when we have guests over who may not be as enlightened as we are about home protection.

My handguns serve those purposes better so I shoot and practice enough to feel just as confident in my ability to use them for home defense purposes as I could with my shotgun. They are also discreet when guests are here. That said, if I had the time during a home defense situation to use my handgun to fight my way to the shotgun then I would.

A fully compressed magazine spring can weaken over time and cause feeding issues with the last one or two rounds. Some shells will swell if left compressed by a fully compressed spring over time. Best thing to do is buy a new Wollf mag spring and leave the magazine down one round. Having 100% feed reliability is much more important than having that one extra round.

Being repeatedly compressed and relieved is what wears out springs, not being compressed and left.

There are many stories of handgun magazines being loaded and untouched for 50+ years and still working fine.

Your shotgun being loaded for a few months or a year or two will be fine.

Besides which, are you really going to load a gun and never shoot it for years on end?

__________________
Still happily answering to the call-sign Peetza.
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The problem, as you so eloquently put it, is choice.
-The Architect
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He is no fool who gives what he can not keep to gain what he can not lose.
-Jim Eliott, paraphrasing Philip Henry.

"Being repeatedly compressed and relieved is what wear springs out. Not being compressed and left." With respect sir, this is a common belief but has not been my experience when it comes to large capacity shotgun magazines. There is a lot more compression taking place than in any handgun magazine. Ask some police armorers about loaded shotgun springs weakening from long term compression and storage. These guns sit fully loaded and only get fired maybe once a year (if that). When tested most of them will feed the first 3 or 4 rounds and then start choking. New magazine spring restores 100% feed. Those springs weakened just from full compression over enough time. Undoubtedly the quality of the spring has an effect on this.

My Mossberg's mag spring is significantly weaker than when I bought it in 1981. That said- it's still working. No bulges on those-wait for it- 31 year old rounds- I've heard that story but have never seen it myself.

At the shop I used to 'smith at, we did yearly "certify-for-duty" of every firearm in a 100+ person department (and we had several departments that we did this for), so every M-16, MP-5, 870, revolvers, 3-gen Smiths came through our door each year. It was interesting, as you really got to see the strengths and weaknesses of various designs.

The 870's had tons of handling wear from going into and out of the patrol car every shift, every day. They trained with thier 870s monthly, so white plastic buffer was everywhere, the barrels were filthy, but the 870's flat out worked. About the only issue I ever saw was some shell stops that needed to be re-staked, and one broken ejector. All the magazines fed 100%, year after year when we test fired them.

"Being repeatedly compressed and relieved is what wear springs out. Not being compressed and left." With respect sir, this is a common belief but has not been my experience when it comes to large capacity shotgun magazines. There is a lot more compression taking place than in any handgun magazine. Ask some police armorers about loaded shotgun springs weakening from long term compression and storage. These guns sit fully loaded and only get fired maybe once a year (if that). When tested most of them will feed the first 3 or 4 rounds and then start choking. New magazine spring restores 100% feed. Those springs weakened just from full compression over enough time. Undoubtedly the quality of the spring has an effect on this.

My duty shotgun, an 870 with a six round magazine, has been fully loaded for 12 years except for firing 4 X a year and cleaning. When should I expect the spring to fail or "take a set"?

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All that is neccessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.
Edmund Burke

I have always thought one should practice regularly with one's HD firearm to gain and maintain shooting proficiency and to be completely familiar with them. And I would feel more confident with newer ammunition as opposed to that qhich has been around a while. The question of springs taking a "set" is one we are still debating, a lot probably depends on their age, quality of materials, design, etc.

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